Happy Birthday, Max
by FantasyFan5
Summary: The flock decides that Max needs to celebrate a real birthday. One shot with FAXNESS!


**A/N: First Max Ride fanfic ever! I really hope you like it. Reviews are love! **

**Disclaimer: Would I be putting this on the Internet for all to read for free if I owned this? Well, maybe if I was stupid. Anyway, it's James Patterson's. Not mine (only in my dreams).**

"Max," said Gazzy one day, "do we have birthdays?" We were in yet another cave, but no one really cared. It was a shelter from the rain that was currently pouring outside.

I was slightly surprised by that question. We hadn't even brought up our parents for ages. "Of course we have birthdays. We were _born._ We just don't know when."

"But see, that's the problem," said Gazzy, wrapping his arms around his legs and spreading his wings to let them dry. "If we don't know _when _they are, how do we know we're not test tube babies?"

"Hey, yeah!" said Nudge, joining in the conversation. _Oh, no, _I thought, _here we go…_ "I mean," she continued, "the scientists could have done, like, some creeptacular experiment and then poof! Bird kids! Or maybe we were born from a bird and a human! Except I don't think that would work. Ew. That'd be really weird. Imagine having a bird dad and human mom! Whoa! What if we were really related to those hawks we saw? One of them could've been my mom! Or-"

"NUDGE!" I finally shouted. "We get it already!" Fang smirked at me, holding in laughter at my expression, probably. I stuck out my tongue.

"Iggy says we should make up birthdays for ourselves," said Angel, looking at me innocently. Her hair hung in wet locks around her face.

"I didn't SAY anything!" Iggy protested. "She's reading my mind again." Angel blushed.

I raised my eyebrows and quit wringing out my hair onto the floor. "Actually…Iggy, that's not such a bad idea! We should try it!"

"You think so?" he asked, turning his sightless eyes to the sound of my voice.

"Yeah!" I said enthusiastically. I liked this idea more and more. "You should have the first birthday, Iggy, since it was your idea."

"Actually, you should," he corrected me. "You're the oldest. Then Fang, _then _me." I looked at Fang. He just shrugged. Some help he was.

"Is it alright with you guys?" I asked the younger ones.

"Yep," they chorused.

Like Fang, I shrugged. "Okay, then. I guess I'm having a birthday soon."

Nudge and Angel cheered. "Can we plan a surprise party, Max?" asked Nudge, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet.

"It's not a surprise anymore," Fang pointed out before I could open my mouth.

"But she won't know what we're planning for her! Can we, Max? Pleeease? Pretty please? With sugar on top?"

I smiled. "Sure. Why not?"

Nudge frowned. "We _could _have it outside if it would just _quit raining_…"

"You know what they say – April showers bring May flowers," said Angel in a singsong voice. "Today's the last day of April."

"It'll take us, like, _forever_ to plan everything and get it set up, so May 3rd sound good to you?" asked Nudge, thinking quickly. "It's your made up birthday, after all."

"May 3rd," I agreed. "I can't wait."

At first I didn't think I'd be this excited about the birthday thing. But when May 3rd finally came around, I was ecstatic. What would they have in store for me? I had spent the last couple of days trying to snoop and guess what they were doing, but Angel caught me. Stupid mind reader.

I knew that the 'party' or whatever was coming up when Nudge practically shoved me out of the cave to go for a fly with Fang. "You need some fresh air," she said. Yeah. More like they needed to get ready!

"Will you please tell me what's going on?" I asked Fang.

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?" Now I was begging. Geez.

Fang turned in the air to look at me. "Nope."

"Some help you are."

"Thanks." With a mischievous glint in his eyes, he called, "Race you back! No super sonic speed allowed!"

"Hey! Not fair! You got a head start!" I cried. He just laughed into the wind as we raced to the cave, dodging real birds. I put on a burst of speed and passed Fang. I got back to the cave first. "Ha! I win!" I said, grinning. Before I could say anymore, Fang came up behind me and slipped his hands over my eyes.

"What are you doing?" I asked indignantly, but he just said, "Move forward. I'm supposed to guide you." I shut up. All I could see was black. It was slightly unnerving, considering I'm used to Eraser attacks and all, but I knew Fang would warn me.

When we entered the cave, I could hear faint whispers and then, "Shh! She's here!" Fang uncovered my eyes. The flock was standing around one giant chocolate chip cookie, with two numbered candles: a number one and a number five – fifteen! There were even balloons. They burst into song:

"Happy birthday to you,

Happy birthday to you,

You look like a bird kid,

And you smell like one too!"

I couldn't help grinning. "Thanks! Where on earth did you get the cookie?"

"There's a store that especially makes big cookies, and we knew you liked chocolate chip," said Iggy. "Blow out your candles!"

"Don't forget to make a wish!" cried Nudge.

"Okay," I said. "Angel, no reading my mind to see what it is." She agreed grudgingly. I took a deep breath and held it. What to wish for? I know…_I wish I knew Fang's thoughts, _I wished absentmindedly, and blew out my candles.

Next were the presents. Iggy gave me a special chemical to protect my stuff from being blown up. That only made me a _little _worried. "Open mine next!" Angel cried, shoving it at me. We didn't have wrapping paper, so I closed my eyes and held out my hands. When I opened them again, I was holding a notebook. "It's so you can write down all your thoughts," she told me, "and not have me reading them."

I grinned. "Thanks, Angel."

Gazzy and Nudge were next. Nudge gave me a gift card for ten dollars to Target. Gazzy got me a stress ball. "It's because you're always stressed out trying to take care of us."

"Thanks!" I exclaimed. I couldn't believe my flock was so thoughtful. I felt a surge of pride looking at them all, Nudge, Gazzy, Angel, Iggy…and Fang.

Gazzy picked that time to ruin the moment. "Uh…sorry, Max," he said sheepishly as a foul smell reached my nose.

"Gazzy! Oh, man!" I cried, pinching my nose with one hand and fanning the air with the other. I escaped outside to fresh air. To my surprise, Fang was already outside.

"Why are you out here, O Solitary One?" I asked him, punching his arm. "How come you're not inside?"

"Why aren't you?" he said, avoiding my question.

"Gazzy ripped one and it was worse than usual," I answered, making a face.

"Oh. Do you want your present?" he asked, not looking at me.

"Yeah! I can't wait to see what it is."

He pushed a long box at me, going slightly red. "Here."

I opened it carefully. Inside was a portrait of me. I was flying, and a look of pure, untainted happiness lit my face. My eyes were closed, and the wind was blowing my hair away from my face. The sun hit me perfectly. I was radiant; I looked…almost beautiful.

_Is this how I look in real life?_ I wondered to myself. I looked up at Fang. "Fang…wow. Since when do you paint? How did you get this good?"

He refused to meet my eyes. "All those times I went off alone…"

"You were painting?" I asked, incredulous. "I don't even know what to say. It's so lifelike! Is this really what I look like?"

"No," said Fang, and I was about to be offended, only he continued, "better. I can't capture it on paper."

I was stunned. But I was _really _speechless when Fang leaned over and kissed my cheek. "Max…the flock really appreciates everything you do for us. It's amazing how you're not insane yet."

"Thanks," I said wryly. Without thinking, I reached up and touched my cheek where he had kissed me. Fang looked embarrassed.

"Look – Max – if you don't – I mean if-"

I silenced him by kissing him back. When we broke apart, he whispered in my ear, "Happy birthday, Max."

It certainly was.

**A/N: I hope you guys liked it! It took forever to get all the wording right and not make it too sappy. And for once, Fang PAINTS, not writes a poem or something. Review please!**


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